2014 Vincent Caillé Côt

Price: $17
Region: Loire Valley < France 
Grapes: Côt
Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Certified organic/biodynamic practices, gabbro soils, aged in stainless steel, bottled unfined/unfiltered
Winemaker: Vincent Caillé

Bright, fresh, gulpable red from the Loire that has a spicy cinnamon thing I love, a hallmark of Loire reds, generally Gamay, but in this case the fleshier Côt (AKA Malbec). Fifth generation vigneron Vincent Caille, who took over his family’s estate in 1986, has all the right creds for the Loire’s new era of natural winemaking: organic leaning towards biodynamic farming and minimal work in the cellar (even an amphora!) – and an idealistic philosophy, which explains the words ‘La Part du Colibri’ on every label. This refers to the legend of the hummingbird: if you do the best you can, even if it’s a little bit, you make the world a better place… The wine is the polar opposite of the big, ripe Malbec you know from Argentina – this is cool climate Malbec, fresh, juicy and low-alcohol, with a beautiful deep purple hue and spicy black cherry and plum fruit. Despite its light body, there is a huge core of minerality and leafiness that gives this inexpensive daily drinker elegant structure and balance. Punches way above its weight.